Valve



April 24, 1934. J. c. FITZPATRICK VALVE Filed May 19 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

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Apnl 24, 1934. J. c, FITZPATRICK 1,956,529

VALVE Filed May 8. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HI IHHHHH 2r 16 1% 10 Z; 2? 2 Z2 Z5 INVENTOR. Jar/76$ C. fi/goa/r/Gk.

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Patented Apr. 24, 1934 PATENT OFFICE VALVE James C. Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to American Tar Products Co. Inc., a corporation of Delaware Application May 8, 1931, Serial No. 535,861

6 Claims.

This invention relates to valves particularly adapted for use on stills for emptying the same. In the distillation of tar and particularly in the continuous distillation thereof, it is necessary to remove pitch from the still from time to time. This is usually done by opening an outlet in the bottom of the still. In the use of an ordinary dump-cock, pitch collects in the outlet and hardens to the extent that the pitch cannot be discharged until the same is melted. This has been heretofore accomplished by heating the dumpcock with superheated steam, but the steam consumed has been an item of some expense.

Heating with a torch has also been practiced,

but this is an inefficient and dangerous manual operation. If such heating is not eifective, the dump line is disconnected and a hot rod is pushed through the hard pitch clogging the outlet. This procedure is quite dangerous from the standpoint of human injury and of property damage and fire. I 7

It is therefore an object of the present invention to avoid the difficulties mentioned above, and to provide a valve which may be maintained in an operative condition at all times Another object of the present invention is to provide a dump valve which will enable an operator to dump a tar still at any time and which will enable him to make even partial dumps from the bottom of a still without the need of applying extraneous heat.

The apparatus of the present invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which;

Figure 1 is a View partly in elevation and partly in section of a continuous type of still provided with the improved dumping valve;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view, partly in elevation of the improved dumping valve; and

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a modification of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 1, the apparatus shown represents a continuous tar still 1 provided with the usual tar inlet 2, vapor outlet 3, pitch overflow 4 and pitch outlet or dump neck 5 at the bottom which is closed by an apertured plate 6 to which the improved dumping valve is attached. The still is shown mounted in the usual fire brick setting '7 and provided with external and internal heating flues 8 and 9, respectively.

As shown in Fig. 2, the dumping valve comprises a casing 10 provided with a plurality of openings. This casing may be a T or cross coupling, the latter preferred form being shown.

One of these openings, such as that in a branch 11, which is flanged and bolted to the plate 6 on the pitch line 5, is adapted to be closed by a tapered valve disc 12 which seats on the outside of the casing 10. v

The valve disc 12 is operated by a rod or valve stem 13, which is attached to the valve and passes through the casing 10 and a cap 14 which is opposite the opening adapted to .be closed by the valve 12. The cap 14 is preferably in the form of a plate or the like bolted to the branch 15 of the cross fitting, which is opposite to the branch 11.

The rod or valve stem 13 extends out of the chamber through the cap 14 and terminates in a threaded end 16. The rod 13 passes through a bushing 1'7 preferably integral with a nut 18 engaging the threaded end 16. A yoke 19 is sleeved on the bushing 17, and is movable lengthwise of the rod by turning the nut 18 in either direction.

The yoke 19 is slidably mounted on bolts 20 carried by the cap 14. The outward movement of the yoke 19 along the bolts is limited by the bolt heads 21. Around each of the bolts 20 are mounted sleeves 22 and springs 23. The springs 23 resist the movement of the sleeves 22 and hence resist the inward movement of the yoke 19. A pin 24 limits the inward movement of the stem in opening the valve.

A handwheel 25 is fitted over the nut 18 and 35' held in place by a smaller nut 26 engaging a threaded reduced portion of the main nut 18. This handwheel serves to turn the nut 18 in either direction to open or close the valve.

The stem 13 passes through an aperture in the member 14, a gland nut 27 being provided to prevent leakage. A spider member 28 is preferably threaded in the end of the branch 11 for guiding the stem at this point. The rim of the spider member forms the seat for the valve 12. Cooperating portions of the spider member 28 and the stem 13 have a non-circular, or polygonal shape, to prevent the turning of the stem. In the form shown, the stem is flattened on one side for this purpose, and the bore of the spider member is correspondingly shaped.

In Fig. 3 is shown a cross-section of a modified form of Valve 29, which may be swivelled at the end of the stem 13. An enlarged counterbore 30 receives a nut 31 on the reduced threaded end 32 of the valve stem 13, and is closed by a threaded plug 33. Sufiicient lost motion is thus provided to permit the valve to seat itself.

In the operation of the apparatus described,

in order to open the valve the wheel 25 is turned to the right. On turning the wheel 25 to the left, the valve closes and the springs 23 are compressed.

When the valve is applied to a continuous still, the chamber 10 may be in the form of a cross. Pitch is withdrawn as shown in Fig. 1 through a pipe 34 provided with a valve 35 and connecting the overflow pipe 4 to the chamber 10. The pipe 34 is preferably connected to a branch 36 of the casing 10, and the opposite branch 37 is connected to a blow tank or pitch receiver by a pipe 38.

Thus the pitch flows continuously through the chamber 10 and around the valve stem 13. With changes in temperature of the pitch flowing through the chamber 10, the valve stem 13 expands or contracts. However, the valve is kept seated by means of the springs 23, so that upon expansion it is readily seen that the valve cannot become unseated and cause a leak.

From the foregoing description it will be readily apparent that the valve according to the present invention is maintained in operative condition at all times, and is otherwise well adapted for the purposes set forth.

While embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described in such detail as to enable anyone skilled in the art to practice the invention, nevertheless it will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to any of the details disclosed, other than as necessitated by the development of the prior art. Instead it will be appreciated that the invention embraces such embodiments of the broad idea as fall within the scope of the ap pended claims, it being obvious that various changes may be resorted to with respect to the disclosed embodiment without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a tar still having a pitch outlet, a valve casing connected to said outlet, a valve associated with said casing and adapted to control said outlet, and independent means for passing hot pitch from said still through said casing when said valve is closed.

2. In combination with a tar still having a pitch outlet, a cross pipe coupling having a branch connected to said outlet and a branch connected to said still above said outlet, a valve associated with said coupling and valve actuating means for opening and closing said valve.

3. In combination with a tar still having a pitch outlet, a valve casing connected to said outlet, a valve associated with said outlet, means carried by said casing for actuating said valve, independent means for passing hot pitch from said still through said casing when said valve is closed, and resilient means associated With said valve actuating means for preventing opening of said valve due to expansion of said valve actuating means.

a. In combination with a tar still having a pitch outlet, a valve casing connected to said outlet, a valve seat carried by said casing, a valve in said outlet engaging said seat, independent means for passing hot pitch from said still through said casing, a valve stem passing through said casing, means cooperating with said casing and stem for actuating said valve, and a spring associated with said actuating means for preventing opening of the valve due to expansion i of said valve actuating means.

5. In combination with a tar still having a pitch outlet, a cross pipe coupling having a branch connected to said outlet and a branch connected to said still above said outlet, a valve seat located at the junction of said branches, a valve member adapted to engage said seat, a stem connected to said valve and passing through the opposite branch, a closure for said opposite branchhaving a packing gland, a yoke carried by said closure and means sleeved in said yoke for operating said stem to open and close the valve.

6. In combination, a tar still, a pitch outlet from said still having a valve device adapted to control the same, a conduit adapted to receive pitch from said outlet and a conduit leading from a different part of said still in communication with said outlet and adapted to deliver pitch to one side of said valve device independently of 5 g the position of the latter.

JAMES C. FITZPATRICK. 

